Logan Pass & Hidden Lake

Logan Pass sits at about 6,646 feet on the Continental Divide, and it is the one stop that almost every Glacier visitor wants. The visitor center is surrounded by alpine meadow that blooms with glacier lilies, beargrass and paintbrush in July and August, and the views run in every direction: the Garden Wall to the north, Clements Mountain behind the center and Heavens Peak off to the west. From the visitor center a boardwalk and trail climb about a mile and a half to Hidden Lake Overlook, where the lake lies far below with Bearhat Mountain rising behind it. It is a short hike by Glacier standards but you gain a few hundred feet in thin air, so take it slowly. Wildlife is part of the draw. Mountain goats walk the boardwalk with the confidence of animals that know nobody will bother them, hoary marmots whistle from the rocks and bighorn sheep appear on the slopes. Keep your distance, which the park sets at twenty-five yards from most wildlife and one hundred yards from bears and wolves, and never feed anything.

The challenge is access, not the hike. The parking lot at the pass is small and fills early on summer mornings, and in recent summers the park has used shuttles and parking time limits to manage crowds, so confirm the current system before you plan your day. The simplest approach is to arrive before the day-tripper wave or late in the afternoon, when the lot thins and the light is gentler on the lake. Some visitors ride the park shuttle or a Red Bus from the west side and skip the parking problem entirely.

For a bigger day, the Highline Trail leaves from across the road and follows the Garden Wall for miles on a ledge above the valley. It is one of the most famous trails in the national park system, but it has a narrow section with a drop-off and a long walk out, so most people hike a short out-and-back or arrange transportation for the one-way trip. Snow often lingers on the trails into July, and the weather at the pass can turn from warm to freezing within an hour, so carry a rain shell, a warm layer and plenty of water.

Bear spray is recommended anywhere you hike here, and you should know how to use it. Pair Logan Pass with the Sun Road drive and a stop at Jackson Glacier Overlook on the east side, and you have the highest point of the trip covered.

Think about what you want from the visit before you arrive. Photographers should plan for the golden hours, when low sun lights the cliffs and the meadows glow. Families with small children may prefer the early part of the boardwalk, turning back well before the overlook if little legs tire. Birders can look for white-tailed ptarmigan and rosy finches in the high country. Wildflower fans should aim for the peak bloom in the second half of July, when the meadows are at their most colorful.

If you plan to hike the Highline Trail, bring a light daypack with extra layers, since the temperature drops quickly along the exposed ledge, and confirm the shuttle arrangements for getting back. Even on the shortest visit, allow time to simply stand on the divide and look in both directions, because the sense of scale is the real reward.